1. FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to golf clubs and methods therefore and, more particularly, to a driving iron golf club head and method therefore.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A principal factor in a golfer not consistently attaining acceptable results when hitting a golf ball with an iron club, is a failure to cause what is known as the sweet spot of the club head to consistently strike the ball. The sweet spot is associated with the center of percussion of the club head. Center of percussion is well defined in the mechanical arts.
A close approximation to the size of the sweet spot may be determined by what is known as a tap test. In the tap test, an observer suspends the handle of the iron club with two fingers. The observer then taps the striking face of the club head with a coin or the like. In response to the tapping, the club head oscillates when the sweet spot is not tapped. Conversely, the club head does not oscillate when the sweet spot is tapped.
For reasons that may be deduced from the tap test, when a portion of the club head, other than the sweet spot, strikes the ball, the golfer may feel an uncomfortable vibration via the shaft of the iron club. Additionally, the ball neither travels in a desired direction nor a desired distance.
In about 90% of the instances when the sweet spot does not strike the ball, the ball is struck by the heel, thereby causing the club head to oscillate. The oscillation causes a loss of distance of travel and an increased side spin of the ball, thereby causing a loss of accurracy.
Another factor in not consistently attaining acceptable results is the heel of the club head inadvertantly touching the ground during the golfer's attempt to hit the ball. The touching of the ground rotates the club head prior to the striking face thereof making contact with the ball. Accordingly, the ball neither travels in the desired direction nor the desired distance.
The striking face displaces a maximum amount of air almost immediately prior to contact with the ball. The air displacement typically causes the club head to oscillate. The oscillation prevents the toe of the club head from squaring to the line of flight of the ball at impact. Moreover the oscillation due to the air displacement is referred to as a destabilization of the toe. The destabilization is yet another factor in not consistantly attaining acceptable results.
When the iron club is used as a driver, it is desireable that the ball have a trajectory of reduced height to prevent wind from adversely influencing the distance and the direction of travel of the ball. The trajectory is usually undesireably high because the center of gravity of the club head does not extend far enough above the sole thereof.
Therefore, it as desireable for the golfer to have a driving iron club with a club head having an enlarged sweet spot, a shape that reduces the likelihood of the heel of the club head inadvertantly touching the ground, a heel that is stabilized, a toe that squares to the line of flight at impact, and a center of gravity that causes the ball to have a trajectory of reduced height in response to being struck by the striking face of the club head.